Recuperation system for underwater cleaning operations

ABSTRACT

Device for cleaning an underwater lying surface, wherein the device comprises a movable frame with at least one rotating brush which allows the device to pressed against or sucked against said surface during movement of the device, wherein furthermore a drive for the brush or brushes is provided, wherein the device is provided with means which prevent that particles that are released during cleaning of the surface, spread around in the water flowing around the surface and around the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for cleaning underwater surfaces.

B. Related Art and Summary

More specifically, the invention is made for cleaning the ship hull, the substructure of a platform or the like.

It is known that on these surfaces lying under the waterline growth of algae and mollusks occur.

This biological growth has a detrimental influence on the fuel consumption of ships due to the increase of flow resistance.

Therefore it is already known for a long time to remove this biological growth regularly or to scrape it off.

Such devices for cleaning surfaces already exist, which devices have rotating disc-shaped brushes or scrapers, like described for example in the Belgian patent document BE 1.000.486.

In these devices the brushes do not only have a cleaning function but are also essential for keeping the device close to the surface to be cleaned.

Indeed, due to the specific shape of the brushes, the rotation thereof will create an underpressure between the surface to be treated and the device, which underpressure causes the device to be firmly pressed or sucked to the surface, such that the brushes always remain in contact with the surface to be treated.

A disadvantage is that during cleaning particles can be released from the surface and these particles that are scraped off by the brushes or released can spread around in the water.

These particles are not necessarily from biological origin but can have any origin in principle.

Without additional measures it is possible that particles from the paint are scraped off and float in the water around the brushes thereby causing water pollution.

It is not excluded that particles from the paint or from a specific coating on the ship's hull or more in general particles from any chemical origine are released, certainly in case of classical older kinds of paint, when the brushes exert too much force on the surface or when they scrape too long on the same place.

Of course, these particles of chemical origin have a negative influence on the environment. There exist already paints which cause no or only minor chemical pollution, like for instance paints with incorporated glass flakes.

Anyway, the distribution of particles of biological origin in the water has also a serious ecological influence on the fauna and flora living in the water, with all detrimental consequences, such as the disappearance of certain organisms in the long term or the outbreak of epidemics and the like.

It is therefore clear that the cleaning of the surface and the resulting water pollution has a serious ecological impact if no further measures are taken.

The present invention aims to offer a solution for at least one of said and/or other drawbacks by providing a device for cleaning an underwater lying surface, whereby the device is provided with a movable frame with at least one rotating brush, which causes the device to be sucked against or pressed against said surface during movement of the device, whereby further a drive is provided for the brush or brushes and whereby the device is provided with means that prevent particles, which are released from the surface during cleaning, from spreading around in the water flowing around the surface and around the device.

An advantage is that the released particles or scraped off particles are stopped and water pollution is avoided and as such there is no danger for the fauna and flora.

Another advantage is that the cleaning of the surface can be achieved in a minimum of time, which is cost-saving.

Preferably, the device is provided with a space wherein one or more brushes are arranged, whereby said space is at least partially enclosed by a hard upstanding edge and whereby a sealing edge of synthetic material is provided which allows for a sealing contact between the surface to be cleaned and whereby the edge defines a gap along which the brushes are in contact with the surface to be cleaned.

According to a practical variant of the invention said means comprise a collecting reservoir with an inlet and an outlet for water, whereby the inlet ends up in said space and the outlet ends up on the outside of the device and whereby a filter is provided between said inlet and outlet for blocking the released particles.

As such, scraped off particles from whatever origin will remain in the filter and only purified water is discharged through the outlet.

In the most preferred embodiment, the collecting reservoir is detachable, for instance by means of quick-couplings.

An advantage is that it allows an easy cleaning or replacement of the filter, such that the maintenance of the device can be done in a minimum of time.

According to an especially practical embodiment, the replacement of the collecting reservoir can be done even under water. To that end the inlet of the collecting reservoir is provided with a non-return valve, such that water and impurities in the collecting reservoir cannot escape through the inlet from the reservoir.

In a first practical variant of the invention, a screw is provided in the inlet which screw is driven by a motor or the like, and which has a sucking influence on the water coming from the brushes when rotating.

In another practical variant a constriction can be provided.

The released particles can precipitate downstream of the constriction and can be discharged appropriately from there.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to better explain the characteristics of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention for cleaning an underwater lying surface is described by way of example and without being limitative in any way, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 represents a view from arrow F2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents at a larger scale a detail F3 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1 a device according to the invention is schematically represented, comprising a movable frame 2 with at least one brush 3.

For the movement of this frame 2, wheels 4 are provided on one side, namely on the side intended for making contact with the surface to be cleaned.

More specifically, three wheels 4 are provided in the embodiment of the figures, each of them being driven by a motor which isn't shown in the drawings.

This motor can be a hydraulic motor of which the flow can be adjusted by means of a valve operated by a control device.

Flow control of the hydraulic motor is thereby advantageous in that adjustment of the speed with which the device moves over the surface is possible.

In the represented variant these wheels are ordered in a triangular pattern, with a front wheel and two back wheels, whereby the front wheel acts as steering wheel 5 and can be oriented as a function of the desired displacement of the device 1 over the surface to be cleaned.

In the embodiment shown a rotatable steering wheel 6 is provided on the device 1 for said steering. It is evident that said steering can also be achieved in other ways.

Many variants of the arrangement with three wheels in the device as described are imaginable, such as for instance variants with only one or two wheels or variants with caterpillars instead of wheels;

Other variants of the invention are conceivable operating like an automatic guided vehicle whereby the displacement of the vehicle is controlled without any human intervention. Such systems can be provided with suitable navigation means.

As can be seen from the view of FIG. 2, said side is delimited by a hard upstanding edge 7 along a part of its perimeters, for example from aluminum.

In a practical variant of the invention said edge does not continue around the whole perimeter edge. As such at least one gap 8 is provided in the edge 7.

In the variant shown said gap 8 is situated at the same side of the device as the steering wheel 5, although this is not a strict requirement for the invention.

A sealing edge 9 of a synthetic material is preferably provided on this upstanding edge 7 in order to have a sealing contact with the surface to be cleaned.

For said sealing edge 9 the use of a synthetic material, such as neoprene, is particularly well-suited, although the invention is not restricted thereto.

On the side of the device 1 that is intented to make contact with the surface to be cleaned, one or more brushes 10 are provided for cleaning.

As can be seen in the figures, at least one brush 10 is thereby situated in the vicinity of the gap in the upstanding edge.

More specifically, there are two brushes approximate to the steering wheel 5 at the front side and a third brush is situated more towards the back side in the variant as shown.

Each of these brushes 3 is, as is known, composed of a rotating disc 13 whereupon bristles 14 are provided. These bristles 14 are preferably made from an abrasive material. Each brush 3 can be driven by a hydraulic motor, although other types of drives are also possible.

It is known that said brushes 3 can be arranged under certain angles with respect to one another to improve the stability of the device 1.

Preferably, the pressurising force against the surface to be cleaned of each bristle is controllable during rotation of the brush 3 such that a constant pressure is exerted on the surface to be cleaned, irrespective of the position of the brush 3 or the shape of or the irregularities on the surface to be cleaned.

To that end each brush 3 can be screwed on the axis of a hydraulic motor and each brush 3 with its hydraulic motor can be suspended in a cardan coupling.

According to the invention means 15 are provided which prevent particles, which are released during the cleaning from the surface, of spreading around in the surrounding water.

In a practical variant of the invention the device 1 is provided with a space 16 wherein the brushes 3 are mounted and said space 16 is partially delimited by the upstanding edge 7.

Preferably, said means 15 comprise a collecting reservoir 17, which is situated nearby the back side of the device 1 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

In the most practical variant of the invention said collecting reservoir 17 is detachable from the device 1, for instance by means of quick-couplings.

This collecting reservoir 17 is provided at one side with an inlet 18 ending up in said space 16. The outlet 19 of the collecting reservoir 17 is situated on another side, more specifically on the side opposite the inlet 18, and ends up on the outside of the device 1.

According to a practical variant of the invention, a filter 20 is provided in the collecting reservoir 17 for blocking the released particles.

Additionally, a prefilter 21 can be provided as well in the inlet 18 of the collecting reservoir 17.

Preferably means are provided which exert a sucking influence on the water from said space 16 and which suck this water in the direction of the collecting reservoir 17.

Alternatively, the inlet 18 of the collecting reservoir 17 can be made as a constriction. As is known, it consists mainly of a channel with a restriction.

It is also possible to provide a rotatable screw 22 in the inlet 18 of the collecting reservoir 17, which screw is driven by an engine, such that the rotation of the screw 22 provides for the discharge of water from the space 16 towards the collecting reservoir 17, which is illustrated in FIG. 2 amongst others.

Furthermore a non-return valve 23 can be provided at the inlet 18, which automatically shuts off if the water flow towards the collecting reservoir 17 drops away.

The method for cleaning a surface by means of the device 1 according to the invention is very easy and as follows.

During the movement of the device 1, the device 1 is sucked against the surface to be cleaned with its side provided with brushes 3.

Due to a well chosen arrangement of the brushes 3 the strips cleaned by the brushes will overlap or touch each other when moving the device 1, such that no dirty strip remains.

During rotation, the brushes 3 scrape off particles from biologic growth of the surface or sweep off such particles. The particles that are thus released, will first float in the water in the space 16 between the brushes 3 and the surface.

From this space 16, water is discharged to the collecting reservoir 17, wherein the filter 20 is provided that blocks these particles, such that only purified water is discharged through the outlet 19 of the collecting reservoir 17.

The discharge of water by means of the collecting reservoir 17 is achieved thanks to exerting a sucking action on the water in the space 16. This sucking action can be achieved in many ways, for instance through rotation of a screw 22 or through a constriction at the inlet 18 of the collecting reservoir 17

From the foregoing it is clear that the invention is very well suited for all kinds of cleaning operations that have to be carried out under water by providing the collecting system as described.

Although the device 1 according to the invention is mainly intended for the removal of growth of algae, mollusks and the like, variants for polishing or scraping off ship hulls are also possible.

It is clear that the filter 20 can be chosen as a function of the purpose of the device. It is for example possible to implement the filter 20 in such way that released paint particles or particles from chemical coatings or the like are blocked.

The brushes 3 from the previously described invention can be replaced by other treating elements, like scrapers or abrasive circular disks in other embodiments.

It is clear for a person skilled in the art that in the device means can be provided for adjusting the suction force between the surface to be cleaned and the device.

Indeed, it can be desirable to, depending on the thickness and the type of growth to be removed, apply immediate changes on the suction force in order to not damage the paint layer of the ship by scraping or brushing too hard.

The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described as an example and shown in the drawings, but a device according to the invention for cleaning an underwater lying surface can be made in many shapes and dimensions without going beyond the scope of the invention. 

1. Device for cleaning a surface located underwater, comprising a movable frame having at least one rotating cleaning brush; said frame enabling the device to be pressed against or sucked against said surface during movement of the device; a drive for the brush or brushes; and means for preventing particles that are released by the brush or brushes during cleaning of the surface to be dispersed in the water surrounding the surface and around the device.
 2. Device according to claim 1, including an enclosure wherein said brushes are arranged and which is at least partially defined by a hard upstanding edge with a sealing edge comprising a synthetic material providing a sealing contact with the surface to be cleaned and which defines a space wherein the brushes may be in contact with the surface to be cleaned.
 3. Device according to claim 1, wherein said means for preventing particles to be spread comprises a collecting reservoir with an inlet and an outlet for water, said inlet in communication with said space and the outlet terminating outside of the device; and including a filter arranged to catch the released particles disposed between said inlet and outlet.
 4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the collecting device is secured in a detachable way to the device.
 5. Device according to claim 3, wherein the collecting reservoir is detachable from the device by means of quick-release couplings.
 6. Device according to claim 3, including a prefilter in the inlet.
 7. Device according to claim 3, wherein the inlet comprises a constriction.
 8. Device according to claim 3, including a rotatable screw in the collecting reservoir arranged when driven to discharge water from said enclosure through said collecting reservoir with filter.
 9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the screw is provided in the inlet.
 10. Device according to claim 8, including a non-return valve between the screw and the collecting reservoir.
 11. Device according to claim 1, including one or more driving wheels and at least one steering wheel.
 12. Device according to claim 1, wherein the upstanding edge is interrupted on one side. 